Duale orders immediate refunds for civil servants hit by illegal SHA charges
By Aloys Michael, June 11, 2026The Health Cabinet Secretary, Adan Duale, has put hospitals on notice, ordering immediate refunds to civil servants unlawfully charged out-of-pocket fees for services covered by the Social Health Authority (SHA) package.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Duale warned that any health facility demanding unauthorised cash payments from public officers for SHA-covered services risks immediate suspension.
The CS emphasised that the era of unchecked co-payments has come to an end, warning health facilities engaging in illegal charges against public servants that they risk suspension, regulatory action, and possible closure.
“Any facility demanding unauthorised cash from our public officers for services covered under the approved package will face immediate suspension and be compelled to issue full refunds,” warned CS Duale.
His directive comes as SHA finalises in-service tariffs for registered users, providing the authority with a clear, enforceable reimbursement framework for the first time.
With those contracts now in place, SHA can hold providers directly accountable to agreed rates, pre-authorisation requirements, and basic clinical requirements going forward.
“Through the execution of these contracts, SHA now has a clear reimbursement framework, and we will hold providers accountable to agreed rates, pre-authorisation requirements, and clinical standards,” stressed Duale.
Beyond protecting patients, Duale stressed the equal importance of protecting the public officers’ fund from waste, misuse, and fraud within the healthcare system.
To tackle fraud at the entry point, SHA officially expanded its biometric registration exercise to include dependents aged 7 to 17.
This rollout will expand SHA’s coverage nationwide, building on a system that already serves over 25 million Kenyans registered in the SHA biometric database and has thousands of devices active in hospitals across the country.
The new biometric verification system has replaced the previous One-Time Password (OTP) method, introducing fingerprint and facial recognition technology for instant identity authentication before healthcare services are accessed or claims are approved.
Through the Ministry of Health’s geo-fenced Practice 360 App, healthcare providers can efficiently manage approvals in real time, reducing administrative paperwork and eliminating the need for physical membership cards or documents.
The biometric system is already fully deployed across all contracted Level 4, Level 5, and Level 6 hospitals, with expansion currently underway to include Level 2 and Level 3 healthcare facilities nationwide.